


role reversal

by steelatoms



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Episode: s05e09 Zari Not Zari, Eventual Nate/Behrad, F/F, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Protective Siblings, s5B AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:07:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24726478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/steelatoms/pseuds/steelatoms
Summary: an au of s5b, where in “Zari, Not Zari”, Zari dies instead of Behrad.
Relationships: Nate Heywood/Behrad Tomaz | Behrad Tarazi, Sara Lance/Ava Sharpe
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	role reversal

**Author's Note:**

> I had this idea to write an au for the back of s5 only with Behrad surviving instead of Zari, leading up till finale. They’ll be based off each episode loosely 🥰

_“Maybe next time bring Behrad.”_

_“I’d like that.”_

Meeting herself from another timeline had been a surreal experience for Zari, though not as scary as she imagined; the other her was kind, if a bit sad — the look in her eyes at the mention of Behrad made her want to hug her own version of her brother tight to him.

Flashing back to reality with the Lyoga root’s effects still burning through her mind took a few seconds, and she looked around her surroundings for her brother, her eyes stopping dead on a crumpled, bloody heap on the floor.

Looming over her unconscious (possibly dead) brother was a terrifying giant of a woman who was sliding one of the pieces of the Loom onto her finger with a cold, emotionless look on her face.

Zari couldn’t worry about that, and the totem around her wrist seemed to grow heavy as her eyes wandered over Behrad’s form, trying to stay as still as possible as if the woman in front of her was some fierce predator.

“He’s not dead.” the woman stated flatly, “Not yet at least.” she turned on her heel, and Zari’s heart got lodged in her throat, “Rise.” she did as she was told, “You share blood with him.” she curiously studied Zari, “Humans always care about interaction and emotions. It’s pathetic.”

As the villainess in front of her monologued, Zari frantically tried to remember how Behrad used the totem, but the icy glare from the woman in front made it slip her mind.

“My sister and I intend to return order to this world.” the edge of her lips turned up into a smile, “Chaos cannot be accepted. Now tell me where the other Loom piece is.”

Zari’s hand danced up her wrist, “I— I don’t know.” her eyes wandered back to Behrad, who still hadn’t stirred.

“You will tell me or you will die.” the woman stepped forward, her eyes dropping to Zari’s wrist.

Zari’s hands shook — she was terrified, “Please don’t hurt me.”

Almost amused, the woman turned away from her, _“Humans._ Still so afraid of your own shadow.”

Zari’s petrified gaze wandered across the room, stopping on a sword; she may not know how to work the dumb family heirloom strapped to her but a sword was simple enough.

Casually, she sidestepped across the floor whilst the scary woman in front of her stood. Her heart thumped in her chest, hoping Sara would walk through the door at that instant.

Inhaling sharply, she grabbed the sword and swung it in the woman’s direction, only for her to manoeuvre with lightning-quick reflexes and catch her wrist painfully.

“A pity.” the woman mocked, “Here I thought you had some kind of intelligence. Seems you’re just as vapid and empty as the rest of them are.” her eyes lit up dangerously, “Oh well. I can always do this.” she squeezed Zari’s wrist, forcing her to drop the sword before reaching into her chest and pulling out a straight, golden thread — it was agonising, like having her heart ripped from her chest as she stood unable to move, a look of utter terror on her face.

_Behrad, I’m so sorry,_ she thought — she couldn’t protect him now.

She had let him down, the other her down, her Maman, her Baba, her team.

“You should not be here.” the woman stared straight into her soul as the blood pumped in her ears.

A knife appeared in the woman’s hand, and for a second, unable to turn her head, Zari swore she heard Charlie and Sara cry out but then the thread pulled from her chest was cut, and she clattered to the floor, dead.

* * *

  
  


Behrad awoke on the floor, groaning at the splitting headache that fragmented across his head. He blinked a few times and realised Nate was sitting beside him as he sat up, wincing at his injuries.

“The scary lady.” it hurt to talk, “Did— did you stop her?”

Nate looked down, his eyes red, “Behrad, buddy…”

“What is it?” he asked, confused, “Did Zari get away?”

“I’m sorry.” Nate mumbled, and Behrad looked around, his gaze stopping dead when he saw Ava sitting beside a lifeless heap which closely resembled his sister.

“No…” his breath hitched as he pushed himself up and made his way over to her, barely noticing Sara and Charlie come into the room.

He dropped beside Zari, hands trembling as he pulled her body into her lap. Her skin was already cold and starting to go pale, and he ran his trembling hand up to smooth her hair.

Eyes blurring with tears, he whispered, _“I don’t understand.”_ and pulled her close, burying his face in her neck, _“Zari.”_ he breathed, whispering Farsi pleas under his breath as he sobbed.

He felt Ava pull him away from her body after a while, her hand stroking over his shoulder but he barely acknowledged it as his gaze remained on the dead body of his sister.

_I didn’t protect her,_ he thought, _I didn’t protect my sister. This is my fault. This is all my fault._

Hours passed, and everyone around him left one-by-one, with Sara eventually moving his sister’s body too, handing him the totem with a solemn look on his face.

He didn’t want it — if this was his destiny, if he were the one true totem-wielder, he didn’t want it.

Zari was his big sister, the totem belonged to _her,_ and not the guy who stole it after a girl he crushed on tried to drown him.

His head hurt from both his injuries and crying, but he didn’t care as he rose his head from his knees.

He couldn’t let the timeline set, couldn’t let his sister stay dead. It wasn’t right and it wasn’t fair after they just fixed their strained relationship — he hated all of his snide comments he had made over the years about her.

Vapid and selfish — both things he had called her over the years, both untrue.

He didn’t protect her _— he_ was the selfish one — _he_ should have died.

He thought of Constantine, and how his obsession with the Loom brought them to this point. 

_This is his fault,_ he thought and pushed himself upward, _he’s going to fix this or I will kill him._

Face still streaked with tears, he stormed into the medbay where John laid — he looked half dead, covered in his own blood with bleary looking eyes.

“Can that Loom bring her back?” his voice wavered.

John coughed, “Yeh what?”

“My sister.” he stepped closer, attempting to seem threatening, “She got killed for that damn Loom. Can it bring her back?”

Constantine replied, “Yeah, it can. If we find the final piece. But we’re being hunted by gods; the situation just got a lot more dicey.”

_“I can handle ‘dicey’!”_ he snapped, though the end of the sentence came out choked, “I can handle anything if it means bringing her back.”

Constantine huffed in doubt, “I don’t know about that, handsome.”

“Well how is this? This is your mess, and until you find a way to fix it, I am with you every moment of every damn day. And I damn mean it.” Behrad locked eyes with John as he growled out the threat, dark eyes flaring with anger and sincerity.

John laughed bitterly, “You better have the stones for this, squire.”

“You have _no idea_ what I’m capable of.” Behrad turned on his heel and walked out, clutching the totem to his chest.

_I’m gonna save you, Zari. Even if it kills me._

**Author's Note:**

> follow my Twitter @wlwlauriestrode and tumblr @zaribehrad
> 
> kudos/comments are welcomed!


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